Awaken the Sky Tyrant MTG Card
2015-11-13 - Number 24
2015-11-18 - Number 54
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
When a source an opponent controls deals damage to you, sacrifice Awaken the Sky Tyrant. If you do, put a 5/5 red Dragon creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
Cards like Awaken the Sky Tyrant
Awaken the Sky Tyrant presents an intriguing dynamic to enchantment strategies within Magic: The Gathering. It aligns closely with other cards like Ghostly Prison in terms of influencing combat, yet stands out with its unique ability to become a creature. When compared to Ghostly Prison, which passively deters attackers by imposing a cost on your opponent, Awaken the Sky Tyrant waits for the moment you’re damaged before unleashing a 5/5 Dragon creature with flying.
Delving further, we can observe parallels to Dragon Egg, which similarly brings forth a flying Dragon upon destruction. However, Dragon Egg lacks the preventative aspect of Awaken the Sky Tyrant that could dissuade opponents from attacking. Reflecting on Dragon Tempest, that card accelerates the impact of your Dragons by granting haste and dealing damage, but doesn’t offer the same defensive setup as Awaken the Sky Tyrant.
In the landscape of Magic: The Gathering combinations, Awaken the Sky Tyrant offers a unique deterrent effect while promising substantial aerial power. This duality allows it to both protect and retaliate, a capability that is nuanced among its contemporaries in the game.
Cards similar to Awaken the Sky Tyrant by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When dealing with Awaken the Sky Tyrant, players can revel in the benefit of having a potentially game-changing dragon emerge without the need to invest cards from their hand. This hidden power can shift the balance decidedly in your favor, as it translates to increased card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: This enchantment gets you closer to commanding powerful flyers, as the dragon token it produces when triggered can serve as a formidable aerial threat. While it doesn’t provide mana acceleration in the traditional sense, it puts a substantial creature into play essentially free of cost.
Instant Speed: Despite being an enchantment, the ability of Awaken the Sky Tyrant to unleash a dragon at instant speed – when a condition is met – can be incredibly advantageous. It interacts with the game on a level that opponents must be wary of at all times, especially during their own turns when they consider targeting you with their spells or abilities.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The playability of Awaken the Sky Tyrant can be hindered by its condition requiring the loss of another card from your hand. This can set back players by depleting their hand, especially if no excess cards are available for discard.
Specific Mana Cost: With its allegiance to red mana, this card demands a strict cost that may not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks or those that don’t favor red. This potentially restricts its inclusion to primarily mono-red or red-centric decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting on the shelf for a four mana investment, Awaken the Sky Tyrant faces stiff competition from other cards within the same mana range. Players may find themselves weighing its ability against other, potentially more impactful plays available for the same cost, which could lead to it being overlooked in deck building.
Reasons to Include Awaken the Sky Tyrant in Your Collection
Versatility: Awaken the Sky Tyrant is a card that offers protection by acting as a deterrent against opponents targeting you with harm. It can seamlessly fit into various commander and casual formats where defense is key.
Combo Potential: When the enchantment transforms into a dragon, it can synergize with decks that capitalize on dragon tribal themes or benefit from having powerful creatures. Combine it with strategies that manipulate the number of counters or methods to ensure triggers, and you elevate your gameplay.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggressive gameplay is prevalent, having Awaken the Sky Tyrant can be a game-changer. It acts as an effective countermeasure to direct removals, potentially steering the game in your favor by summoning a potent dragon when its conditions are met.
How to beat
Awaken the Sky Tyrant is a unique enchantment card in MTG that presents a challenge with its ability to unleash a powerful flying creature upon being targeted by an opponent’s spell. The key to overcoming this card lies in avoiding the trigger that brings the Sky Tyrant to life. This means strategically choosing not to target it with spells or abilities, which might require adjusting your gameplay to work around it.
Alternatively, employing board wipes that don’t specifically target the card, such as Supreme Verdict or Damnation, can clear the path without the threat of the tyrant emerging. Another approach is using exile effects that aren’t targeted, like Merciless Eviction, to safely remove the card from play. Adjust your tactics to either race against the threat by building a faster, more aggressive board or by employing strategic control measures, ensuring the tyrant never takes flight.
Navigating around this enchantment requires a blend of patience and foresight, making it a test of both skill and deck building acumen. Keep in mind, this card requires careful timing and play selections to defeat, ultimately adding a layer of depth to the MTG playing experience.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Awaken the Sky Tyrant MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2015 and Legendary Cube Prize Pack, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Awaken the Sky Tyrant and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Awaken the Sky Tyrant Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2015-11-13 and 2015-11-18. Illustrated by Adam Paquette.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-11-13 | Commander 2015 | C15 | 24 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 2 | 2015-11-18 | Legendary Cube Prize Pack | PZ1 | 54 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Awaken the Sky Tyrant has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Awaken the Sky Tyrant card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-11-04 | Awaken the Sky Tyrant will trigger once for each source an opponent controls that deals damage to you, but you can sacrifice it only once. |
| 2015-11-04 | If Awaken the Sky Tyrant isn’t on the battlefield as its ability resolves, you can’t sacrifice it. You won’t get the Dragon in that case. |